Improvement in grain-driers



H.. H. BEACH.

Grain Drier.

No. 38,723. Patented 'June'2. 1863.

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HENRY H. BEACH, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAlN-DRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,723, dated June 2,1863,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. H. BEACH, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain Apparatus for Drying and Cooling Grain; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of certain apparatus,

fully described hereinafter, for drying grain and for cooling the grainafter it has been dried. In order to enable others familiar with thedrying and cooling of grain to make and use my invention, I will nowproceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification, Figure 1, Drawing No. 1, is a vertical section of myimproved grain-drying apparatus, and Fig. 2, Drawing No. 1, a transversevertical section; Fig. 1, Drawing No. 2, an edge view of the apparatuswith exhaust-fan applied to the same, and Fig. 2, Drawing No. 2, a frontview of Fi 1 A and A are two substantial frames, of iron, connectedtogether at the top by the crosspieces B and B, at the bottom by thebasepiece 0, and at intermediate points by any suitable bolts, stays,and other fastenings which may be deemed proper for rendering the entirestructure secure.

Between the two frames A and A are arranged the horizontal plates a, a,a, a, and a, the vertical plates d, d, and d, (the last being arrangedto slide vertically in grooves,) and the plates 6 and 6. An inclinedplate, b, extends from the under side of the cross-piece B and rests onthe end of the plate a, which it overlaps to thelimited extentillustrated in the drawings, and from the lower edge of the plate dextends an inclined perforated plate, D, the lower end of whichoverhangs the end of the plate a. The lower end of a second perforatedplate, D, in like manner overhangs the end of the horizontal plate 0.,its upper end terminating at the under edge of the plate 0. A thirdplate, D, of a similar character, commencing at the under edge of theplate (1., and terminating-a short distance beyond the end of thehorizontal plate a, while 'a'fourth perforated plate, D, extends fromthe front edge of the base 0 to the under side of the vertical board 0.It will be seen that the interior of the structure is thus separatedinto a series of compartments or'chambers, which may be designated asfollows: The compartment E, which may be termed the receiving-chamber,as it is the first to receive the grain to be dried; the four angularcompartments E, E, E, and E, which I term the hot-air chambers, and thefour angular compartments F, F, F, and F, which I term the"exhaust-chambers. The angular hot-air chamber E is bounded at one sideby the inclined perforated plate D, at another side by the horizontalplate a, the other side being entirely or partially open for the freeadmission of hot air. The other hot-air chambers are similarly boundedand arranged. The exhaust-chamber F is bounded on one side by thehorizontal plate a, on another side by the vertical plate e, and on thebottom by the inclined perforated plate D, the remainingexhaust-chambers being similarly bounded and arranged. The whole of theexhaust-chambers communicate with each other and with thereceiving-chamber E. It should be understood, however, that at H, wherethese compartments communicate, the distance between the points 00 a: onahorizontal' line, 2, drawn from the end of the inclined plate, shouldbe equal or nearly equal to the distance between the pointsy y on aline, 3, drawn from the same point at right angles to the inclined plateD, and this rule should be carefully observed throughout. To one edge ofthe structure is secured a duct or pipe, I, for receiving the hot airand directing it to the chambers E and E, a similar duct or pipe, I,being secured to the opposite edge of the structure for directing thehot air to the compartments E and E Each of the exhaust-chamberscommunicates through openings m and a in the opposite side frames, A andA, with the exhaust-pipes J and J, one of which is secured to each ofthe said side frames. I

In using my improved grain-drier the sliding plate d is, in the firstinstance, depressed so that there may be no opening for the escape ofthe grain. A hot blast is then forced into the ducts land I, after whichthe apparatus is in a conditionfor receiving the grain which isdischarged from a suitable elevated hopper into the receiving-chamber E.The damp grain will, in the first instance, descend with rapidity inthin strata down the inclined perforated plates until its furtherprogress is arrested by the sliding plate d. It will then begin toaccumulate so as to present a stratum of uniform depth on the lowerperforated plate, D and as the grain above this plate continues todescend, the depth of the grain will increase on the several inclinedplates, (butwill not exceed a given depth,) until a stratum of uniformdepth remains on the whole of the plates. No matter what amount of grainmay be admitted to the receiving-chamber, the depth of the stratum ofgrain on the several plates wi l not be increased, and this depth willbe determined by the distance between the points ar an, above alluded toas being equal or nearly equal to the distance between the points 1 3 Inthe meantime, as the grain is descending and accumulating, so as toassume a uniform depth, it is subjected to the action of the hot blastwhich passes through the ducts I and I into the several hot-airchambers, thence through the perforations of the inclined plates, andthrough the strata of grain, and, after imparting its heat to the sameand absorbing its moisture, passes off through the openings m and n ofthe several exhaustchambers, and through the channels J and J to theexternal atmosphere. After the strata of grain on the several inclinedplates have become stationary, owing to the desired depth having beenattained, the sliding plate at is elevated. At the same time a constantsupply of grain is admitted to the receivingchamber, and the forcing ofthe hot blast into the ducts I and I is continued. The grain being nowpermitted to escape through the opening below, and a continuous supplybeing admitted at the top of the apparatus, will take its zigzag coursedown the inclined plates at a uniform speed and at unvarying depththroughout, while the hot blast penetrates the strata of grain anddeprives it of its moisture.

There are in the operation of my graindrying apparatus severalpeculiarly advantageous features, to the attainment of which myattention has been especially directed. The first is that of causing thegrain to traverse a. zigzag passage in a stratum of uniform thicknessand at a uniform speed without the aid of mechanical appliances such asthe shakerframes heretofore used in grain-dryin g apparatus. The mannerin which I accomplish this important result, by regulating the size ofthe opening through which the grain passes from the lowerend of oneperforated plate to the upper end of the other, has been fully explainedabove. The second important feature 1s that of drying the grainuniformly throughout. The manner in which this end is at tained will bebest understood by reference to Fig. 1, Drawing No. 1, in which thegrain on the several plates is represented by two different colors asconsisting of two strata, cne being colored yellow, the other red. It Ehould be understood, however, that the grain passes down the inclinedplates in an undisturbed' mass, each kernel remaining in the same ornearly the same position in respect to the others fromfirst to last. Ofthe grain on the plate D, the yellow stratum is the lowest, and isconsequently subjected to the greatest heat, but on passing from theplate D to the plate D the red stratum, which had previously beenuppermost and less exposed to the heat, is now the lowest and mostexposed to the heat, and thus the strata of grain continue to changepositions in respect to the perforated plates until the grain finallyescapes in a uniformly-dried condition at the lower end of thestructure. This uniform change of the position or the grain on theplates could not be accomplished if they were agitated as in other graindrying apparatus. It is only by permitting the plates to remainquiescent, and the grain to find its own way down the surface, that theuniformity of the strata can be preserved and the change in theirposition in respect to the different plates continued.

A third important feature of my invention is the immediate discharge ofthe heated air after it has performed its duty of drying a given amountof grain, and after it has been charged with moisture and unfit fordrying purposes.

In some of the grain-drying devices the heated air is maintained inintimate contact with the grain after the former has absorbed and becomecharged with the moisture of the latter, a practice the evil of which itwould be unnecessary to explain.

It will be seen on reference to Fig. 1 that whatever heated air haspassed from one of the air-chambers through the grain into what I havetermed the exhaust-chamber is considered to have accomplished its dutyafter having imparted its heat to the stratum of grain interveningbetween the said chambers, and is at once carried off through openings mand n and passages J and J to the external atmosphere. In order tofacilitate the escape of this air as quickly as possible, I propose insome instances to make use of an ordinary blowing-fan, as shown in Figs.3 and 4, Drawing No. 2, in which W is the fan and w thedischarge-opening of the same, the two exhaust-pipes J and Jcommunicating with the central opening of the fan, one on one side andthe other on the opposite side of the same.

It will be evident that a hot blast may be admitted to the hot-airchambers and discharged from the exhaust-chambers by openings andchannels arranged in a manner differing from that described, that thenumber of inclined perforated plates may be increased by erectin g astructure of greater height, and that the arrangement of many of theparts may be cspzzs 3 modified without departing from the main featuresand principles of my invention.

Although I prefer to use the perforated plates and to permit the hotblast to pass through the same, they may be plain and heated by hotairor otherwise, the grain being dried by contact with the surface ofthe plates.

For cooling the grain after it has been dried- I use an apparatusprecisely similar to that above described, a cold blast instead of a hotblast being introduced into the chambers E, Ell!7 Elli, d LIE/IIII Iclaim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Aseries of inclined planes, which the grain is caused to traverse instrata of uniform, or nearly, thickness, and on which the grain iscaused to change its position by regulating the openings which form thecommunication between the planes, substantially as described, the planesbeing heated or perfora-ted. for the passage through them of a hotblast.

2. In combination with the said inclined planes, arranged as set forth,the sliding plate cl, or its equivalent, for the purpose specified.

3. The structure, separated into the withindescribed hot-aircompartments and exhaustcompartments by the horizontal plates andinclined planes herein set forth, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY H. BEACH. Witnesses:

HENRY HoWsoN, JOHN WHITE.

